Dr Franklin Takes It Easy

Originally Aired: January 29, 1941 Cavalcade of America #211, "Dr Franklin Takes It Easy," Benjamin Franklin, now over 80 and living quietly in Philadelphia, shows his granddaughter Deborah his latest invention: a long stick with mechanical prongs that can grab books from high shelves. When Deborah marvels at her grandfather's industriousness and his many inventions, Franklin insists he's actually the laziest man in the world. He explains that all his creations, from his famous Franklin Stove to the chair that unfolds into a step ladder, were born from his desire to avoid unnecessary effort. To prove his point, Franklin shares stories from his past with Deborah. He recalls his very first invention as a boy in Boston, when he tied a kite around his wrist and let the wind pull him across a mile-wide pond rather than walk home tired from swimming. He also recounts his time in London, where he lived with the Martin family and astonished them with another of his inventions—the glass harmonica. The episode reveals how America's beloved philosopher and patriot approached invention not through tireless industry, but through an ingenious quest for comfort and ease.